News &amp; Features - May 2010

Lexi Overman and Adam Leffler-Herzberger both 1st Graders at Van Buren Elementary School marvel at the release of ladybugs during the final day of garden club on Tuesday, May 18, 2010. The club went for six weeks and had 50 students who learned about composting, worms and insects.

Berthoud High School senior Ann Smith, 17, gives a speech while practicing for her performance in the student congress division at the upcoming National Forensics League Tournament June 13-18 in Kansas City, Mo.

Berthoud High School senior Nicolas Alexander, 17, acts out a scene from the movie "Dominick & Eugene" during a forensics rehearsal Tuesday at the school while his coach, Brendan Gallagher, takes notes on the performance. Alexander qualified to compete in the dramatic interpretation category at the upcoming National Forensics League Tournament June 13-18 in Kansas City, Mo.

Jessica Beckmann, center front, joins her fellow church members of King of Glory Lutheran Church, Sunday, in planting a community garden. The church used Memorial Funds and volunteer labor to pull their project together and plans on donating the food it grows to the Food Bank, Community Kitchen, and House of Neighborly Service. Members of the church will take turns, weekly, caring for the garden. From left to right across the back are Mike Dodge, Pastor Susan Candea, Craig Singiser, 10, Sandy Singiser, and Marshall Boyton, 14.

Riders and spectators alike turned out for The Community Classic Bike Tour, Sunday, at the McKee Medical Center. Kayla Christensen, right, waits with her mom, Jennifer Christen, for her dad to cross the finish line. Meanwhile, Lindsay Gilliland, left, completes her ride with Isaac Gilliland in tow and Erin Axtell, left center, close behind.

Jerry Buchen gives a new helmet to Maris Moralez, 4, as her sister Avery, 6, rides away on Saturday, May 15, 2010.

Frank Neckel puts the final touches on a heirloom chair at the Timberlane Farm Museum on Saturday, May 15, 2010.

Firefighters and paramedics prepare to lower a training dummy down to other personnel waiting below during an exercise Wednesday at the former Cloverleaf Dog Track as part of the Loveland Special Operations Team training. The 6-day training program included members of Loveland Fire and Rescue, Berthoud Fire Protection District, Union Colony Fire and Rescue and Thompson Valley EMS.

Cottonwood Plains Elementary School teacher Jeanna Dolezal is surrounded by fourth graders in her classroom Wednesday after she was awarded a creativity grant from the Teacher Education Foundation. Dolezal plans to purchase Flip video cameras so her students caqn create video podcast biographies of heroes in their lives.

Loveland firefighter Rick Summer uses a sledge hammer to break through a wall at the former Cloverleaf Dog Track during a training exercise Wednesday to find and extricate the victim of a simulated building collapse as part of the Loveland Special Operations Team training.

Veterinarian Patrick Owen sits with his dog, Archie, while talking to students at Carrie Martin Elementary School during career day. Many people volunteered to share a little about their professions including an engineer, park ranger, cake decorator, restaurant manager, paleontologist, artist and soldier, among others.

Accident in front of The Jewelry Source at 924 Cleveland Ave, Thursday, called in at 4:07pm, with sales associate Jinx Pettus as a witness. Pettus reported being inside the shop with Jacob Hill, owner of the blue Cheverolet, when she heard a loud crash and saw the black Pathfinder, driven by Mauro Hernandez, crushed into Hill's parked vehicle in front of her shop. Hernandez was seemingly traveling the speed limit southbound on Cleveland when he fell asleep at the wheel and collided with the passenger side of Hill's truck, reported Officer Charlie Wilson. No one was injured.

Artist Jarvis Fosdick literslly sews together a piece of wood as part of his quilted art installation, Tuesday, at 218 4th St. Fosdick has teamed up with Ali Almquist for Loveland's emerging Art Lab project.

Artist Jarvis Fosdick, right, works on creating his intallation piece, Tuesday, at 218 4th St, with friends John McHugh, center, and Andrew Jakowski, as part of Loveland's emerging ArtLab.

Victor Zavala, left, and his father, Martin Zavala, work Tuesday afternoon in the shoe repair portion of Whiteside's Boots at 202 S.E. 19th St.

Whiteside's Boots owner John Whiteside, left, lends a hand as Brian Hunt tries on boots on Tuesday, May 11, 2010.

Jennie Balch (Left) assists Brian Hunt as he looks for a new pair of boots at Whiteside's Boat on Tuesday, May 11, 2010.

Loveland High School freshman Cort Roberts, 15, left, and junior Tyler Treacy, 17, play their French horns while bandmates Ben Tripam, 17, back left, and Justin Tebbe, 15, play tuba Friday during their wind symphony class.

Lucile Erwin Middle School seventh grader Alec Steine, 14, is all decked out in purple hat, jacket and socks as he goes up for a shot while while being guarded by Daniel Williamson, 13, right, and Cole Martin, 13, as they basketball together Friday outside the school after lunch. Friday was Paint the Town Purple day where students were encouraged to wear purple and also hat day where students could donate one dollar to charity and be able to wear a hat in school. They raised $326 which will be divided between the Duck Cancer and TEA Strikes Against Cancer teams for the upcoming Relay for Life fundraiser for cancer research.

Lucile Erwin Middle School seventh graders, from left to right, Megan Lakatos, 13, Kara Reza, 13, Baylee Ostreim, 13, and Kiley O'neil, 13, hang out together outside the school Friday during their lunch break. Friday was Paint the Town Purple day where students were encouraged to wear purple and also hat day where they could donate one dollar to charity and be able to wear a hat during school. They raised $326 which will be split between the Duck Cancer and TEA Strikes Against Cancer teams for the upcoming Relay for Life fundraiser for cancer research.

Denise Montague and her daughters, Maisy, 10, left, and Ella, 6, and their dog, Zuko, go for a run together Friday afternoon in northeast Loveland. Maisy and Ella will be participating in the upcoming Healthy Kids Run Series this summer.

Mountain View High School senior Greg Ahlquist, back, as "Mrs. White," and junior Conrad Shock as "Professor Plum" act out a scene Wednesday during a dress rehearsal for the school's upcoming production of "Clue: The Musical."

Six-year-old Ella Montague holds up a dogtag that she was given at the completion of a 2008 Healthy Kids Run Series event. After each run children are given a memento of the run which in the past has included hats, clothing, dogtags, wrist bands and backpacks.

Maria Rubio hurries to bundle and shelter sickly Miguel Ramos, 18 months, from the rain that cut short Sunday's Cinco de Mayo celebration at Foote Lagoon.

Brenda Garcia, 9, right, and Jazmin Quintana, 8, center, rush to the top of the Foote Lagoon amphitheater, Sunday, in between Cinco de Mayo performances down below, while Lesly Racio, 7, left, protests her friends' leaving.

Karina Ramos, left, works with her father-in-law Jose Ramos, right, Sunday, to prepare various Mexican dishes such as quesadillas, taocs and burritos while an eager crowd waits to take a bite. The two worked under a Las Salsitas Mexican Grill banner during the Cinco de Mayo celebration at Foote Logan.

Dancers of the Quetzalcoatl Aztec Dance wait to take the stage, Sunday, to perform in as part of the Cinco de Mayo celebration at Foote Logan. From left to right, Hector Sandoval, Lizette Anaya, Briana Estrada, Yamel Alfaro.

Dennis Merk reads up on Loveland's Histortical Walking Tour out front of the German Evangelical Church on East Seventh Ave, Saturday, while his wife, Sandra Merk, emerges, ready to join him. Lee Smith puts his shoes back on after exiting. Shoe removal or covering is required upon entry into the houses.

An old Edison phonograph is just one of the many intriguing things found at Gail Tyler and George Callan's home along Washington Avenue. The home was open to public tours Saturday as part of Loveland's Historical Walking Tour.

Bruce and Janet Harshberger explore the German Evangelical Church at 502 East Seventh Street, open to the public Saturday as part of the Historical Home Tour.